Haiti fans living in Scotland say the World Cup will give the troubled country the opportunity to portray itself in its most positive light.
The Caribbean island is making its first appearance at the major tournament in 52 years and will face Scotland in the opening Group C game in Boston.
The country has struggled with political instability, devastating natural disasters and economic crises, but Haitian fans have told STV News it is a “proud and passionate” nation and that will be on display when the teams lock horns on Saturday.
Leilani Taneus-Miller, a Haitian-American writer living in Edinburgh said: “When you are Haitian, you do feel this overwhelming love for country.
Getty Images“We feel like football mums for all the players on the Haiti team – even though we don’t know them personally they are like our sons.
“If you think about the team ‘les Grenadiers’, that is a call back to the revolutionary times. This was something that was said on the battlefield.
“They carry this on the field with them. It’s a reminder of the spirit of what it is to be Haitian, and it gives the world a chance to see us in a very different light, in a positive light and very passionate light.”
Haiti’s qualification for the World Cup is all the more impressive given they haven’t been able to play home games in the country for five years due to gang violence.
Their manager, Sebastien Migne, hasn’t set foot on the island since taking over the reins two years ago.
Saturday night will be the first time Scotland and Haiti face each other in a competitive match.
Haiti are searching for their first ever World Cup win, while Steve Clarke’s men know three points will put them in a strong position to qualify for the latter stages for the first time in their history, ahead of tough games against Morocco and Brazil.
Caribbean-born British actress Sheilane Ricot says it will be a proud moment for Haitians, and no matter what happens in the Scotland game, they will still hold their heads high.
She said: “Both countries love to party and love to celebrate and I am there for it.
“I can’t wait to see the match – win, lose or draw. It’s a very proud moment and we are very humble people whether we lose or win, we are still going to walk with pride.
“We’re still going to celebrate and we’re still going to acknowledge our accomplishments, and we should be proud of that.
“I’m proudly going to be wearing Haiti all over my body but Scotland is my home, and I will be cheering them on as well.”
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